Cigarette package case



Feb. 10, 1948. D. GREENE CIGARETTE PACKAGE CASE Filed May 9, 1944,

- INVENTOR Dav/n :GREE/VE AiTORNE Patented Feb. 19, 1948 CIGARETTE PACKAGE CASE David Greene. Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Esmco Auto ProductsCorn, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York 1 Application May 9, 1944, Serial No. 534,776

7 Claims. (Cl. 206-41) This invention relates to cases for use in storing and protecting packages of cigarettes while carried about in a pocket, pocketbook or the like, to maintain the cigarettes against crushing or pocket. It will also be apparent that the ends IQ of the top wall II are set inwardly, thus exposing the upper corners 20 of a cigarette package.

destruction. More particularly, the invention re- Extending from the outwardly offset portions lates to a device of this type and kind employing l4 of the walls l2 are inwardly extending bottom a slide having a limited movement through one wall members 2| having an elongated opening 22 or both sides of the casing of the holder to expose between adjacent edges thereof, and the ends of at least one side of the cigarette package for the the walls 2| at both sides of the casing l0 have discharge or removal of cigarettes therefrom. l0 inwardly projecting stop fingers 23 forlimiting The novel features of the invention will be best movement of a slide 24 in both directions through understood from the following description when the open sides of the casing I0. taken together with the accompanying drawing, In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inin which certain embodiments of the invention elusive, the slide 24 comprises a plate having upare disclosed, and in which the separate parts are standing side flanges 25 and corresponding updesignated by suitable reference characters in standing end flanges 26. The flanges 25 fit and eachof the views; and in which: operate in the channels l5, as clearly seen in Fig. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container or 3 of the drawing and also engage the walls of the holder showing the same in an open position and cigarette package I! to hold the same upon the diagrammatically illustrating the arrangement of slide 24. The end flanges 26 al'o retain the packa cigarette package therein. 7 age I! against displacement from the slide, and i Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure as further provid fin r p s f r moving e s e seen in Fig. 1. longitudinally of the channels M of the casing. "Fig.3 isa sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Centrally of the slide 24 is formed a down- Fig. 4 is a'perspective view of the slide shown wardly directed depression to form a stop 21. enin Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive detached. ga g the inwardly Pro g fingers 23 150 Fig. 5 is a side View of the lower end portion of movement of the slide in both directions. In a modified form of case, showing another form of other words, the slide may be extended at either slide whichIemploy. open side of the casing, and one of such exten- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slide shown in 30 sions of the slide is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the Fig. 5, detached. drawing. The slide also preferably has large Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 6, showp s 28 f rmed therein through which a ing another form of slide which I employ; and finger ay e ass to di l ng a cigar- Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one lower corner ette from the pa age I as indicated n g. 1 portion of a modified form of casing which I em- 0 t e drawing. ploy. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the The cigarette case 0 holder comprise a subfront and back walls I? are yieldable toward and stantially box shaped casing ll) of the general f m ea h other, thus Providing r attachment form illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. This and detachment of the slide 24; However, with casing comprises a top wall H and depending v the slide extended through one side of the easand substantially parallel and similar front and ns t is p ssi l to ass m le a packa e of back walls l2, having side extensions l3 at their i r t es i e ho r an p n he lide 24. but upper ends and outwardly offset portion M at as stated, whenever desired, the walls l2 may be their lower ends forming channels IS on inner sprung part sufficiently to release the stop 1 surfaces of the walls. It will also appear that the .45 for complete uncoupling of the slide. lower ends of the walls l2 are widened, as seen At this time it is well to point out that the comat IE to conform with the width of the projections plete holder may be made of any, suitable metal [3. a or of plastic material, or a combination of metal The width between the projections l3 and I B and plastics, and that wall portions H and I2 will be substantially the same as the width of a may be characterized in any desiredmanner for package of cigarettes I! so that the corner porornamentation. tions l 8 of the package will be exposed at the cor- In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing is shown a slight ner portions of the casing, thus presenting a betmodification wherein a casing 29 has at the lower ter package for carrying about in the pocket and ends of the front and back walls 30, outwardly minimizing the edges of the casing exposed to the Y and sharply bent flange portions 3| forming deep 25 are not employed, and upwardly turned end flanges 36, similar to the flanges ('5 are employed. However, the plate of the slide 33 is made wider to form projecting sides 31 which operate in the deep channels 32. The slide 33 is further modified to the end that a single finger piece aperture 38 is employed at one end thereof, and the depressed stop bar 39 is disposed at the other end portion of the slide, thus this slide is made for movement through one open side only of the casing. This same structural feature is applicable to the slide shown in Fig. 4, and in like manner, the structure of the slide shown in Fig. 4, particularly with respect to the location of the stop 21 is applicable to the structure shown in Fig. 6.

In like manner, either one of the slides shown in Figs. 4 and 6 may include, instead of the end flanges 26- -36, upwardly extending wall portions 40, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing. For purposes of illustration, this wall portion 43 has been applied to a slide 4i similar to the slide 33. In other words, a slide having the one narrow upstanding flange 42 at one end, the single finger piece aperture 43 at the same end, and the depression stop bar 44 at the other end.

The upstanding plate 40 forms a backing for one of the side walls of the cigarette package, and a finger piece against which pressure may be applied in moving the slide into open position, the width of the wall 40 at the lower wide end portion thereof being such as to fit freely within and betweenv the front and back walls of the caslug.

With all the forms of the construction shown, it will be understood that the spacing between the flanges 23-33 and the flange 42' together with the wall 40 is equal or substantially equal to the width of the cigarette package to be mounted in the holder. Where packages are made of drastically different sizes, holders will be made to suit these sizes, but as most commonly used cigarette packages are of standard size, a single holder will suffice for the majority of uses.

I have found from experience that a holder of the type and kind under consideration will maintain the wrapper of the cigarette package in propor shape at all times, down to the consumption of the last cigarette. Further, the holder occupies very little added area to the area of the cigarette package, thus taking up no great amount of additional room in the carrying or storage of the cigarette package.

Further in constructing the holder of light material and minimizing the weight of such materials by an openwork structure in the wall portions the weight of the complete holder can be materially minimized. It is also to be pointed out that in some instances, the complete holder may be made of other light sheet materials, such as cardboard, and from this standpoint used as advertising mediums, "even to the end of being given away with the sale of each package of cigarettes. However, in cardboard structure's, instead of leaving the front and back walls separate for spring action relatively to each other, the in wardly directed stop fingers similar to the fingers 23 and 35 will be made longer and to overlap, as seen at 45 and 46 in Fig. 8 of the drawing, and these overlapped fingers secured together so as to support the walls 41 in definite spaced relationship to each other and to close the ends of the longitudinal opening 48 in' the bottom of the casing, in which opening the stops similar to the stops 21, 39 and 44 will operate.

In this connection, it is well to point out that the uniting of the walls 41, as at 45 and 46 will take place after the slide has been assembled in the casing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A cigarette package case, comprising a casing having top, bottom, front and back walls, the sides of the casing being open, the bottom wall having an elongated opening, a slide arranged in the casing and movable over said bottom wall, lower end portions of the front and back walls having channels receiving the side portions of said slide to guide the slide in its movement longitudinally of the casing, the slide having upstandiiig end wall portions adapted to engage a package of cigarettes arranged upon the slide to retain the same against displacement therefrom, said slide having a stop member operating in the elongated aperture of the bottom wall, and said bottom wall having means at the ends of the aperture for limiting movement of the slide in both directions on said bottom wall.

2. A cigarette package case, comprising a casing having top, bottom, front and back walls, the sides of the casing being open, the bottom wall having an elongated opening, a slide arranged in the casing and movable over said bottom wall, lower end portions of the front and back walls having channels receiving the side portions of said slide to guide the slide in its movement Iongitudinally of the casing, the slide having upstanding end wall portions adapted to engage a package of cigarettes arranged upon the slide to retain the same against displacement therefrom, said slide having a stop member operating in the elongated aperture of the bottom wall, said bottom wall having means at the ends of the aperture for limiting movement of the slide in both directions on said bottom wall, and the sides of said slide having flange portions engaging the channels of said front and back walls. 1

3. A cigarette package case, comprising a casing having top, bottom, front and back walls, the sides of the casing being open, the bottom wall having an elongated opening, a slide arranged in the casing and movable over said bottom wall, lower end portions of the front and back walls having channels receiving the side portions of said slide to guide the slide in its movement longitudinally of the casing, the slide having upstanding end wall portions adapted to engage a package of cigarettes arranged upon the slide to retain the same against displacement therefrom, said slide having a, stop member operating in the elongated aperture of the bottom wall, said bottom wall having means at the ends of the aperture for limiting movement of the slide in both directions on said bottom wall, the sides of said slide having flange portions engaging the channels of said front and backwalls, and said slide having a finger piece aperture at one end thereof facilitating removal of a cigarette from a package supported on said slide when the slide is extended from the casing.

4. A cigarette package case, comprising a casing having top, bottom, front and back walls, the sides of the casing being open, the bottom wall having an elongated opening, a slide arranged in the casing and movable over said bottom wall, lower end portions of the front and back walls having channels receiving the side portions of said slide to guide the slide in its movement 1ongitudinally of the casing, the slide having upstanding end wall portions adapted to engage a package of cigarettes arranged upon the slide to retain the same against displacement therefrom, said slide having a stop member operating in the elongated aperture of the bottom wall, said bottom wall having means at the ends of the aperture for limiting movement of the slide in both directions on said bottom wall, the sides of said slide having flange portions engaging the channels of said front and back walls, said slide having a finger piece aperture at one end thereof facilitating removal of a cigarette from a package supported on said slide when the slide is extended from the casing, and one end wall portion of the slide extending upwardly between the open end of the casing to form a finger piece for moving the slide in one direction in said casing.

5. A holder of the class described, comprising a casing formed from an elongated strip of material folded transversely to form a top wall, substantially parallel front and back walls and independent bottom wall parts movable toward and from each other, the bottom wall parts collectively forming an elongated aperture therebetween, said bottom wall parts having stop members at the ends thereof definin the ends of said aperture, an article supporting slide mounted on and keyed for movement longitudinally of the bottom wall parts, the slide being movable outwardly through at least one open side of the casing, and means on the slide engaging the stop members of the bottom wall parts to limit movement of the slide in both directions on said parts.

6. A holder of the class described, comprising a casing formed from an elongated strip of material folded transversely to form a top wall, substantially parallel front and back walls and independent bottom wall parts movable toward and from each other, the bottom wall parts coliec= tively forming an elongated aperture therebetween, said bottom wall parts having stop members at the ends thereof defining the ends of said aperture, an article supporting slide mounted on and keyed for movement longitudinally of the bottom wall parts, the slide being movable outwardly through at least one open side of the casing, means on the slide engaging the stop members of the bottom wall parts to limit movement of the slide in both directions on said parts, and said slide having upstanding end wall portions retaining an article against accidental displacement therefrom.

7. In a holder of the class described, a casing comprising substantially parallel front and back walls joined at one end in a top wall, independent flat bottom wall parts extending an ularly to the lower portion of the front and back walls, both sides of the casing being open to the extent defined by said front, back, top and bottom walls, the front and back walls being offset outwardly where they join the bottom wall parts to form channels extending longitudinally of the lower ends of said front and back walls, the ends of said bottom wall parts having inwardly projecting stop members, and free edges of the bottom wall parts being widely spaced between said stop members in forming an opening extending longitudinally of the bottom of the casing.

- DAVID GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

